Russia Russian Ukraine fighters must fear EU entry ban
Hundreds of thousands of Russian soldiers who fought against Ukraine are threatened with a ban on entering the EU. According to Estonia's Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna, a proposal to this effect is on the table in Brussels.
29.01.2026, 14:09
SDA
Tsahkna said at an EU meeting that there was information that many soldiers wanted to come to Europe after a possible end to the war. It would not be possible to explain this to the citizens. "These are very dangerous people," he said.
A background paper on the proposal available to the news agency DPA states that an estimated 1.5 million Russian nationals have taken part in combat operations since 2022 and around 640,000 are still actively deployed. Their common characteristics are combat experience and the use of force, including probable involvement in war crimes and other atrocities against the Ukrainian population.
Fighters are considered high-risk individuals
"Their potential entry into and residence in the EU not only poses a general risk of violence, but is also an important route through which organized crime, extremist groups and hostile state activities can gain a foothold and spread throughout Europe," the authors write. Former fighters are also particularly easy to recruit for Russian intelligence services.
The paper also points out that there is already a connection between former fighters and increasing violence in Russia. Many returnees had committed serious crimes; their total number had reached a 15-year high in the first half of 2025. The background to this is that up to 180,000 convicted prisoners have been recruited directly into special military units.
No more visas for fighters
As a consequence, all EU and Schengen states must now implement a complete entry ban and the refusal of visas and residence permits for all identified Russian nationals who took part in the war of aggression against Ukraine, the authors demand.
However, diplomats pointed out that implementation might not be easy - partly due to different national regulations on the issuing of visas. There is also the question of how a Ukrainian deployment of Russian fighters can be proven if they provide false information.
Estonia, on the other hand, is convinced that it only needs the appropriate political will and also refers to its own actions. According to the government in Tallinn, more than 260 Russian fighters have recently been banned from entering the country on the basis of decisions made by the Estonian Ministry of the Interior.
